Top for vehicles



(No Model.) H 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. 0. LANGDON.

TOP FOR VEHICLES. No. 460,308. Patented Sept. 29,-1'891.

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(Nb Model.) H 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. 0. LANGDON.

TOP FOR VEHICLES.

Patented Sept. 29, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM O. LANGDON, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

TOP FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,308, dated September 29, 1891.

Application filed June 13,1891. Serial No. 396,181. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern;-

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM O. LANGDON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfielthin the county of Sangamon, State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Top for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tops such as are used on buggies, phaetons, and similar land vehicles.

The purposes of my invention are, first, to provide simple and effective means whereby the curtains of such vehicles may when raised lie within the top of the vehicle, thereby avoidingthe trouble of detaching the curtains and preserving them from loss or injury; second, to provide means for automatically raising the curtains and holding them in any desired position; third, to provide means for folding or extending the top, and, fourth, to provide means for supporting a central supplemental bow or bows. This I accomplish by the mechanism herein described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view of the buggy-top in position on the Vehicle. Fig. 2 is a partial View, on an enlarged scale, of the detached top and shows the relative position of the bows, supplemental bows, and the jointed bars; also shows 011 one side the position of the curtain raised and on the other side the position of the curtain lowered. Fig. 3 is a detachel view, 011 an enlarged scale, showing one of the outer bows and its attached supplemental bow; also showing in position on the bows the spring-boxes inclosing the spring which operates the tapes by means of which the curtains are moved up and down. Fig. 4: shows on an enlarged scale one of the spring-boxes detached; also shows the details of the springbox. Fig. 5 is a detached view, on an enlarged scale, showing part of the central bow, part of the central supplemental bow, and the jointed bar supporting the central supplemental bow.

Similar letters designate similar parts in all the views.

The bows A are such as are commonly used and are pivotally connected to standards a, secured to the buggy-seat in a manner well known. On top of the front and rear bows A are suitably secured supplemental bows A, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

To the top of the bow A and to the under side of the supplementalbowA, respectively, are secured hangers B, which support the spring-barrel 0, containing a coiled spring D,

which, after being compressed by pulling down the curtains, reacts to raise the curtain E, as I will hereinafter describe.

The front and rear supplemental bows A are secured to the front and rear bows, respectively, as I have described; but the central supplemental bow A is supported at its ends on the jointed bar F, connecting the front supplemental bow with the rear supplemental bow, so as to leave a clear space between the outside of the central bow and the inside of the central supplemental bow, as shown in Fig. 5, within which space the curtain moves when pulled up or down.

Herein I have shown and described a folding top having only three bows. My invention is, however, applicable to folding tops having four or more bows. In that case there would be two or more central supplemental bows supported on the jointed bars, instead of one. My invention may also be applied to fiat rigid tops. In that case I would prefer to use a straight solid bar to support the central supplemental bow or bows, instead of the jointed bar F, as shown and described.

\Vithin the space between the bow Aand the supplemental bow A are placed (one near each end) the spring-barrels C. Coiled around the outside of each of these barrels is a tape G. preferably of steel, having one end secured to the periphery of the spring-barrel and the other end secured to the upper edge of the curtain E. WVithin the spring-barrel is a helical spring D, having its inner end secured to the hub O of the spring-barrel C, which turns on the spindle B, said spring being coiled around the hub and having its outer end secured to a pin Z), projecting inward from the hanger B. wound around the barrel 0 in one direction, and the spring D within the barrel is coiled in the opposite direction around the hub O, which is integral with the barrel, so that when the tape is wound pulling on the tape to unwind it turns the barrel to wind up the The tape G is ICO spring, and, on the contrary, when the pull on the tape is relaxed the spring reacts to turn the barrel, wind up the tape, and raise the curtain to which the tape is connected and draw it into the space between the bows A and the supplemental bows A. Pivoted to the inner face of the hangers B are detents b, which fall into notches b in the periphery of the barrel and serve to stop the barrel in any desired position of its revolution, so that the curtain may be raised to any desired height. The jointed rods F serve a triple purpose: first, when the top is raised they extend the bows; second, they support the central supplemental bow or bows; third, when the top is lowered they break at the joints between the bows, so as to permit the top to fold back. WVhen the joints f of the rods F between the bow are pulled down, the central supplemental bow settles down on top of the central bow, so as to hold the curtain E,which has previously been raised, in posit-ion between the bows and the supplemental bow, so as not to be displaced when the top is folded back. When the top is raised, pushing up on the joints f between the'bows extends the top and raises the central supplemental bow to its normal position, leaving the curtain free to move within the space between the bows, as already described.

The operation of my device is as follows: To raise the curtain, pull down on the curtain sufficiently to release the detentsb'. Then suddenly release the curtai n,when the spring within the barrel 0 will react to wind up the tape and raise the curtain to the desired position. Then pull down slightly on the curtain until the detents I) fall in the notchesb and stop the spring-barrel and the curtain rests in the desired position. To fold down the top, pull down the joints f between the bows, which will permit the bows to come together and the top to fold back.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a vehiole-top,a central supplemental bow above and parallel to the central bow, resting on hinged rods at each side of the top, supporting the outer covering of the top when raised, so as to leave an open space between the outer covering and the lining of the top, in which the curtain may move, and when lowered holding the curtain in position between the outer covering and the lining of the top, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose stated.

2. In a vehicle-top, the combination of the hows, the standards supporting the bows, the supplemental bows secured to the front and rear hows, the central supplemental bow above and parallel to the central bow, and the hinged rods connectingthe bows and supporting the central supplemental bow, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose stated.

3. In a vehicle-top, the combination of the bows, the standards supporting the bows,the supplemental bows, the central supplemental how, the jointed rod supporting the central supplemental bow and extending the hows, the standards secured between the bows and the supplemental bows, supporting the springbarrel and actuating-spring, and the steel tape connecting the spring-barrel with the curtain, substantiail y as shown and described, and for the purpose stated.

4. In a vehicle-top, the combination of the standards a, the bows A, the'supplemental bows A, the central supplemental bow A the jointed bar F, supporting the central supplemental bow, the standards B, secured to the bows and the supplemental bows, the springbarrel-G, having an integral hub O and turning on the spindle B, projecting from the standard, the helical spring D within the spring-barrel, having one end secured to the hub of the spring-barrel and the other endsecured to a stud projecting from the standard B, the detents b',pivotally connected with the standard B and falling into notches b in the periphery of the barrel 0, and the steel tape G, having one end connected to the springbarrel and the other end connected with the curtain, all co-operating substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose stated.

WILLIAM O. LANGDON.

I'Vitnesses:

JOHN S. NORTHOUT'I, W. F. BEMIs. 

